Launching pad and flying toy combination



Jan. 24, 1967 A. QUERCETTI 3,299,564

LAUNCHING PAD AND FLYING TOY COMBINATION Filed Jan. (5, 1964 INVENTOR A5534 NDAO pumcirr/ BY v %M7JW ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 7 t r3,299,564 LAUNCHING PAD AND FLYING TOY COMBINATION Alessandro Quercetti,77/16 Via Bardonecchia,

Turin, Piedmont; Italy Filed Jan. 6, 1964. Ser. No. 335,872 Claimspriority, application Italy, Jan. 15, 1963, 236/63 I Claims. (Cl. 46-74)It is known that flying toys, model aircraft and the like are at presentlaunched by means of an elastic catapult or sling gripped with one handwhile the other hand is used toholdthe toy or model by its rear end soas to enable the elastic launching cords to be stretched; thus the modelis disposed in a preselected direction and released and is acceleratedand launched by the catapult. These catapult devices have thedisadvantage of imparting only a relatively small quantity of motion tothe flying object, since the tension of the elastic cannot exceed theforce which can be applied with only one hand, also the stretching ofthe elastic is restricted by the method of use. Furthermore, if alaunching device of this kind is incorrectly used or if the flyingobject is inadvertently released atuan inopportune instant, the launchermay be struck by the object as it leaves the sling, precisely when thishas the maximum energy and may constitute a dangerous projectile.

The object of the present invention is a launching pad intended topermit the launching of flying objects of the kind indicated by means ofan elastic catapult, imparting to them considerably greater quantitiesof motion and thus providing longer flights and higher trajectories,while at the same time the manner in which the launching is performedconsiderably reduces the possibility of the launcher being struck by theobject on departure.

The idea of the invention consists in utilizing a base or footrest whichthe launcher holds firmly against the ground by placing his foot uponit, and to which is hooked the rear part of the object to be launchedwhile the elastic cords of the catapult are attached to this object andare stretched; if a suitable type of catapult or sling is used, thestretching can be performed using both arms, thus storing up a farhigher quantity of energy than is usual both by the greater force whichcan be applied by the person performing the launching and owing to thegreater stroke which is possible for stretching the elastic cords. Thelaunching pad is further equipped with means which, at the desiredmoment, permit disengagement of the object to be launched so that thelatter is accelerated and launched by the catapult.

A form of embodiment of the invention is shown by way of nonrestrictiveexample, in the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the launching pad;

FIG. 2 is a view of its lower part;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the center plane of the pad showingin addition the rear part of a missile to be launched, fitted on thepad;

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the method of using the launching pad inaccordance with the invention.

The launching pad shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 consists of a footrest 1, theshape and dimension of which are such that it can be effectively held bythe foot of the launcher placed in a position similar to that shown inFIG. 4. The footrest 1 terminates in a head 2 forming the base for thesupport of the object to be launched; preferably a seating 3 is hollowedout in this head, suitably adapted to the outline of the rear part ofthe object to be launched, for example, the missile 4 (FIG. 3). The saidhead 2 has a port 5 open at the front end, and the lower edge 6 whereofis smooth so as to permit easy sliding and it is prefer- Patented Jan.24, 1967 ably tilted upwards'towards the front opening of the port,

as shown in section in FIG. 3.

The object 4 to be launched is equipped with a hooking element,consisting according to the drawing of a tang 7 connected to its rearpart, preferably in a manner permitting pivoting and ending in a head 8,it being possible for the tang to pass inside the port 5 while the headis adapted'to rest and slide against the lower edge 6 of the said port.

The object placed on the pad can rest thereon in a first position (shownin dot-dash lines in FIG. 3) to permit the convenient performance of theoperations preceding the launching. Then the elastic cords 9 of acatapult 10, preferably with two arms or two handles to permit twohandedmanipulation, are hooked to the object to be launched and, the launchingpad being held by one foot, the elastic cords are stretched (FIG. 4).The head 8 of the holding tang is then pressed against the edge 6 andheld by this, permitting the stretching of the catapult (FIG. 3,continuous line). When it is desired to effect the launching, thepressure on the footrest 1 is released and the launching pad rises,tilting upwards. The head 8 slides along the edge 6 of the port 5 untilit disengages itself when the object attached to the tang 7 is releasedand is accelerated and launched by the catapult.

It is clear from the preceding that, as the catapult can be manipulatedwith both hands, the tension imparted to the elastic under full load canbe considerably greater than usual, and the stretching stroke can begreater than usual, both factors favoring the storing of a greaterpotential energy in the catapult which can be utilized in the launching.It is also clear, on the other hand, that the position which thelauncher has to assume when using the device described determines atrajectory of the launched object relatively far from the body and,furthermore, passing the extended hands, so that the danger of theperson effecting the launching being struck by the object at the instantof launching is reduced to the point of being virtually negligible.

If the launcher moves his own body forward, in doing so, he displacesthe launching trajectory even further forward, while if he moves hisarms backward, it becomes impossible to disengage the missile from thepad and thus to effect the launching.

Naturally the dimensions of the launching pad and the shape of its head,in particular, of the releasable hooking means and the seating 3intended to receive the rear part of the object to be launched, will berequired to be adjusted from time to time to the particular requirementsof the object to be launched and the energy required for launching, itbeing possible for these features to diverge considerably from thosedescribed without transgressing the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a sling, a launching pad, a flying toy having meansat the rear part for releasable engagement with said launching pad, saidsling having means to engage said flying toy, said launching padcomprising a footrest means having a head, and in said head a hookingmeans for effecting said releasable engagement with said means of theflying toy, whereby said footrest means is held against the ground byone foot of the launcher while the sling is strained; then by releasingthe pressure of the foot the launching pad is allowed to tilt upwardlyand permit said hooking means to release the flying toy.

2. A launching pad for launching by means of a sling a flying toy havinghooking means at the rear part, comprising a footrest means to be heldagainst the ground by one foot of the launcher, said footrest meanshaving a head, in said head a port open at the front end of said head,and sliding lower edges limiting said port for coaction with saidhooking means of the flying toy while the sling is strained, whereby byreleasing the pressure of the foot on the footrest means the launchingpad is allowed to tilt upwardly and the hooking means of the flying toypermitted to slide along said lower edges and disengage from said portallowing the flying toy to be launched.

3. A launching pad as set forth in claim 2, wherein a portion of saidsliding lower edges is tilted upwardly towards the open end of saidport.

4. A launching pad as set forth in claim 2, wherein said head has ahollowed seat corresponding to the outline of the rear part of theflying toy to be launched, whereby said flying toy can be inserted insaid seat and remains erect to be prepared for launching.

5. A launching pad for launching by means of a sling a flying toy havingat the rear part a hinged holding tang, comprising a footrest means tobe held against the L} ground by one foot of the launcher, said footrestmeans having a head, said head having a hollowed seat corresponding tothe outline of the rear part of the flying toy, a port open at the frontend of said head, and sliding lower edges limiting said port forcoaction with said holding tang hinged to the flying toy, said edgesbeing tilted upwardly in their portion adjacent to the open end of saidport.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1941 Lorer 4674 2/1949 Eicholtz 124-35 LOUIS J. BOVASSO, W. R. BROWNE,

Assistant Examiners-.

1. IN COMBINATION, A SLING, A LAUNCHING PAD, A FLYING TOY HAVING MEANSAT THE REAR PART FOR RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LAUNCHING PAD, SAIDSLING HAVING MEANS TO ENGAGE SAID FLYING TOY, SAID LAUNCHING PADCOMPRISING A FOOTREST MEANS HAVING A HEAD, AND IN SAID HEAD A HOOKINGMEANS FOR EFFECTING SAID RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MEANS OF THEFLYING TOY, WHEREBY FOOTREST MEANS